Meeting Mollie
by Janet Fraiser
Summary: The ride to deck five is long and the suspense is killing her by the time she gets to Sickbay. The sound of the Borg baby crying stops her in her tracks right inside the door.
1. Meeting Mollie

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the ridiculousness of my muse.

**Author's Note: **Luftangrepp posted a photoset of Janeway holding the Borg baby on tumblr and made the request, "... someone please write that fic that I need where Janeway adopts this baby and calls her Mollie." This is the first chapter of my response to her challenge and, while I didn't mean to let this plot bunny go wild in my mind (I've got two other WIPs I'm working on PLUS NaNoWriMo), I couldn't ignore it. I can't say how often it'll be updated but I've got three chapters written so far. This is unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own.

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><p>"Sickbay to Captain Janeway."<p>

The call from the Doctor interrupts Kathryn's third coffee of the morning and she sighs wearily. Though well-intentioned, the Doctor's harping on her caffeine intake gets on her nerves and she's too stressed to deal with him. There's five Borg children on Voyager now and she's got to figure out what to do with them for the time being; Icheb and the twins both have families waiting.

The Wysanti, Azan and Rebi's people, have been kind enough to offer a home to Mezoti since Kathryn's been unable to contact the Norcadians and Voyager's scheduled to rendezvous with the Wysanti in a few days. Icheb's parents are excited to have him back and it's been a renewal of faith for Kathryn to see the four of them returning to open arms. The little Borg baby, though, is so weighed down with Borg implants that the Doctor's having a hard time determining what species the little girl is.

"EMH to Captain Janeway," the Doctor repeats and Kathryn rolls her eyes before tapping her combadge to initiate the link.

"Janeway here. What can I do for you, Doctor?"

"Captain, your presence is required in sickbay. I've finished the genetic tests on the infant and I need to speak to you."

"I'm on my way," Kathryn says and frowns at the serious tone in the Doctor's voice; he's often melodramatic but she knows that tone and that tone indicates something's wrong. She takes her coffee with her as she exits the ready room and nods at Chakotay to let him know he's still got the bridge. The ride to deck five is long and the suspense is killing her by the time she gets to Sickbay. The sound of the Borg baby crying stops her in her tracks right inside the door.

"Ah, Captain," the Doctor greets her as he picks up the infant. "You're just in time. Would you hold her while I get her bottle ready?"

Kathryn takes the baby hesitantly, looking down at the tiny being with wide eyes. She's held her before but that time she was in a hurry to get her people back from the Borg cube. Now she has time to marvel at the tiny nose and little mouth, the perfect eyebrows that accent the bright blue eyes. She heavier than a normal infant, thanks to the insane implants riddling her body; she's a mass of biological and technological components but Kathryn thinks she's perfect.

"Here we are. She should take the whole bottle."

The Doctor's voice interrupts Kathryn's musings. She looks up, startled, and takes the offered bottle. The baby latches on to the nipple and attacks the formula voraciously, making Kathryn laugh.

"As I said, Captain, I finished running the genetic testing on our little friend here and I have some surprising news," the Doctor says. "Under her implants, the infant is human."

"Human?" Kathryn breaths, her eyes wide as she stares at the EMH in shock. "How is that possible?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Captain. I would assume she was forcibly removed from her mother when the Borg assimilated her. She was put in the Borg maturation chamber and would've grown into a full Borg drone if she'd been allowed to stay. Seven of Nine indicated that the child was marked to replace the Queen when she was fully matured."

"Dear god," Kathryn whispers, her mind reeling at the thought of the tiny little girl in her arms being raised to become the next Queen. "That's absolutely horrifying."

"I thought so too," he agrees, waving his tricorder over the child. When he's satisfied with the readings, he looks back up at the captain. "What are we going to do about her, Captain?"

"I'm not sure," Kathryn admits, looking down when she realizes there's no movement coming from the bundle in her arms. She hands the bottle to the Doctor and shifts the baby up to lie against her shoulder so she can burp her. Patting her back softly, Kathryn turns her attention back to the Doctor. "Can you remove her implants?"

"I'd estimate she's about four weeks old, which means it'll be difficult - but not impossible - to remove her implants. She's proven that she's resilient so far, which is going to help her through the process," he says, shrugging.

"Good. Then let's do this as soon as possible." It's not quite an order but she knows he'll take it that way, which doesn't bother her in the least.

"She'll need a caregiver after the surgery, Captain. A shipwide memo asking for a volunteer might be a-"

"I'll take care of it," she says, cutting him off. The baby's burp punctuates her emphatic statement and she can't help but laugh again. "I'll find a caregiver for her, Doctor."

"Then I'll make the necessary preparations for the surgery," he says, nodding decisively before waving a hand toward his office. "I'll be around if you need me."

Utilizing the holo-emitters in sickbay, Kathryn calls up a rocking chair and positions it next to the small incubator. She sits, adjusting the baby so she's resting on her lap and she rocks the tiny child while she stares down at her. She finds it hard to tear her eyes away from the solemn blue eyes that lock onto hers and she's fairly certain the baby is looking straight into her soul. She laughs at herself, shaking off the feeling.

"You've had quite the life already, haven't you?" she whispers to the little girl. "I can't promise that things are going to be easy but I'll make sure you're loved and taken care of." The baby blinks a few times and then yawns widely, earning a smile from the captain. "Are you sleepy, sweetheart? Then let's get you comfortable."

Kathryn gathers the infant up, cradling her close and rocks her. The repetitive, calming motion and the gradual release of her pent up stress helps Kathryn relax; she stares down at the little girl and loses herself in the feeling of holding the infant. When the Doctor comes out of his office twenty minutes later, he finds the Captain asleep in the rocking chair with her hand resting on the baby's belly as the child sleeps in the incubator.


	2. Making Plans

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the ridiculousness of my muse.

**Author's Note: **Amelia asked if this story could be J/C and I laughed, mostly because it was J/C from the start. Here's the next chapter, which I hope satisfies the J/C cravings! This is unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own.

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><p>She leaves Sickbay after the Doctor wakes her up. She makes him promise to keep what he saw to himself and makes it back to her quarters just after alpha shift ends. The door slides open on her approach which means Chakotay's already home and it makes Kathryn smile; they've lived together for two years now and it's still a novelty to have someone to come home to. Mark's 'Dear John' letter, sent across the Hirogen relay network, released her from the responsibility she felt to staying faithful to him.<p>

Looking back, she can't pinpoint the moment she fell in love with Chakotay but she'd always kept herself apart from him with thoughts of her fiance back home. She loves Mark, even still, and knows that she always will; he was a childhood friend first, a lover second, and a source of comfort and stability third. His letter alleviated her guilt over her feelings for her first officer and gave her the freedom to have a relationship with Chakotay.

"Chakotay?" she calls out, looking around the darkened quarters with a confused frown. There's a sound from the bedroom and a moment later he emerges, a towel around his waist and his hair wet from the shower. Kathryn smiles, crossing over and kissing him lightly as her arms slip around him. "How was the rest of the shift?"

"Spectacularly uneventful," he replies, kissing her nose with a smile. "How's our littlest crew member?"

She glances up at him with a crooked grin, swatting at him playfully as she asks, "Am I that transparent?"

"Only to me, Beloved. The Doctor contacted the bridge to let me know you wouldn't be coming back in light of recent developments with the Borg baby," he explains while guiding her over to the sofa. They sit, his arm around her shoulders and her resting against his chest, and she sighs.

"She's human," she says and she feels his surprise in the way he stiffens. Looking up at him, she nods. "I know, I was shocked too. The Doctor ran the tests three times just to make sure but there's no doubt about it; she's fully human, aside from the Borg implants."

"Wow. I don't know what to say," he says, squeezing her shoulders gently. "Is the Doctor removing her implants?"

"Yes, he said he'll remove them tomorrow morning." He looks down at her and she glances up at him, shaking her head. "That's not even the worst of it. Not only was she removed from her mother when the Borg assimilated her, Seven said the baby was going to replace the current Queen when she finished maturing." His expression is one of pure horror and she nods, sighing heavily as she leans back into his embrace again. "She'll need a caregiver after the surgery. I told the Doctor I'd find one."

"Spirits," he says softly. "I can't begin to comprehend the depth of the Borg's cruelty. Volunteers are going to line up to offer that little girl a home."

She goes quiet, her mind reeling at his words. She's known that someone's going to take care of the infant but she's getting a sick feeling in her stomach and she's starting to realize why; some part of her, the part that forgets she's the captain of a lost starship in a hostile area of space, wants to keep the child. She wants to take care of her after the surgery and then keep her, giving her a home and two parents who love her unconditionally. The surge of emotion is unsettling and Kathryn stands suddenly, wringing her hands as she paces a few steps from the sofa.

"Kathryn?" Chakotay asks, concern in his voice. She keeps pacing until he intercepts her, grabbing her shoulders and bending a little to catch her eye. "What's wrong?"

"I know I shouldn't," she whispers, her voice weighed down with her unshed tears. "I know it's ridiculous and completely out of the question. Being Voyager's captain takes every free second I have and it's preposterous to even think about but-"

"You want to take her."

She looks up at Chakotay and nods, her tears finally falling as she stares at him and silently begs him to understand. He just smiles at her, compassion in his eyes and support in his embrace when he pulls her to him. She rests her head against his chest and cries - both for the travesty of what that little girl's gone through in such a short life and the emotional upheaval Kathryn finds herself in now. Chakotay says nothing, rubbing her back slowly and holding her close as if to shelter her from the pain of life. When she's cried as many tears as she can cry, she sighs softly.

"I can't even believe I'm thinking about it," she says. "I'm so busy as captain and it'd be so unfair to her, having me as a mother. I'm always stressed and overworked and I can't cook to save my life and I'm definitely not mother material and I-" He cuts her off with a kiss, pulling her close, and it's effective; she kisses him for a long moment until her mental breakdown is averted. Smiling up at him, she lifts an eyebrow. "That was unexpected."

"I had to stop you somehow," he laughs, shrugging. "I figured you'd prefer that over a hand covering your mouth." He looks down at her, his face going serious. "Let's do it."

"Do what?" she asks as she pulls away from, moving to the replicator to order a coffee and tea.

"Let's adopt her," he answers. She turns slowly to look at him, needing to judge his sincerity. He just smiles. "We can do this, Kathryn. I can take the bridge for a few extra hours each day, freeing up your time. Or we can split shifts so that I'm home with her when you're not. We can make this work, you know."

"It's not that simple," she says as she shakes her head, biting her lip to stop the tears that are building again. "It's a huge commitment."

"Then let's at least be her caregivers after her surgery - a trial run, if you will - and if that doesn't work, we'll find someone to adopt her. Let's just try this, Beloved."

She nods silently, hiccuping as she loses the fight with her tears. Blinking rapidly, she marvels at the capricious nature of life; she'd given up hope of having a child, knowing that captaining a lost starship through hostile space isn't a lifestyle conducive to being pregnant and now she's about to become a mother. She's no fool, and she knows Chakotay isn't either; once the baby is with them, there's no giving her up. They're adopting the child, whether or not she's willing to vocalize that just yet.


	3. Righting Wrongs

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the ridiculousness of my muse and her silly ideas.

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay - the holidays bring a lot of shoppers out and, since I'm working retail, my hours double this time of year. I'm still here, though, and I've got updates coming soon for _Path_ and _Goodbye. _This is unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own.

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><p>She finds it almost impossible to ignore the urge to go down to sickbay. The Doctor contacted her three hours ago to inform her that he was ready to begin the process of removing implants and, as hard as she's tried to focus on her shift, she's struggling. She made it through an hour on the bridge before she turned it over to Chakotay and retreated to her ready room, where she's been holed up for the last two hours. Her stomach is upset and she finds that she's having a hard time even making it through a cup of coffee.<p>

She sits and attempts to go over the reports on her desk but her mind wanders to the tiny little girl in sickbay. She worries that the baby won't make it and she realizes, with a quiet gasp, that if something happens to the little girl and she doesn't make it, the infant will die without a name. That's unacceptable to Kathryn so she taps her combadge and asks Chakotay to come to the ready room. The chime of the door makes her jump a little and she rolls her eyes at her own ridiculousness.

"Come," she says and she manages a small smile when he enters. His expression is compassionate and she has to blink back tears at his understanding. When he opens his arms to her, she doesn't hesitate to step into his embrace. "Thank you."

"Any time, Beloved. I've been waiting for your call, if I'm honest," he says and she laughs weakly. He presses a kiss to the top of her head before he speaks again. "No word from the Doctor?"

"Nothing," she sighs, pulling away and taking his hand so she can lead him up to the sofa beneath the viewports. They have rules about being affectionate on duty but she's willing to overlook them today. "I tried to read reports, I really did. But then I started thinking about the baby and how she doesn't have a name."

"Ah," he nods, pulling her down to sit next to him. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Mollie," she says softly, biting her lip. "My grandmother's name was Mollie and I absolutely adored her. She was my best friend when I was young and I wanted to be just like her when I grew up; she was so loving and my biggest supporter in everything I did. I remember when my father died, Grandma Mollie was there for me every day in sickbay while I recovered. I was heartbroken when she died and I'd love to honor her by naming the baby after her."

"Mollie is a wonderful name, Beloved. What about Mollie Hope? She's the embodiment of perseverance and strength, a symbol of hope." he asks, smiling. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her closer. "Mollie Hope Janeway has a nice ring to it."

She brushes the tears from her cheeks as she pulls back to look up at him, her eyes bright. She tries to find the words to express her love of the name but words fail her and she nods, hiccuping softly before laughing wetly.

"It's perfect," she whispers. "Mollie Hope Janeway it is, then."

"Sickbay to Captain Janeway."

The Doctor's call startles her and she jumps a little, then laughs at herself. Wiping away the last of her tears, she sits up straighter and takes a deep breath. Chakotay's gentle hand on her shoulder calms her.

"Janeway here. How is she, Doctor?"

"She's just fine, thanks to my exceptional skill," the Doctor says. Kathryn laughs and covers her mouth, overcome with emotion as the Doctor continues. "There were no complications with the implant removal and she'll be ready to leave sickbay in three hours, once I'm satisfied that she's healing. She'll stay sedated tonight, just to be safe, and she'll need to come back tomorrow morning for the first of many check-ups. Have you found a caregiver for her?"

"The Captain and I are going to take care of her," Chakotay says, jumping in when Kathryn can't speak through the lump in her throat.

"I thought that'd be the case," comes the reply. "You can pick her up in three hours, Commander. Sickbay out."

Kathryn stares at Chakotay in the silence of the ready room and takes a shaky breath, her hands shaking. Her voice is quiet when she whispers, "She's really okay."

"Yes, she's really okay. We'll hand off the bridge to Tuvok in two hours and stop by the mess hall before we go pick up Mollie."

"I don't think I can eat anything until I see her," she admits, wringing her hands. She stands and paces anxiously, trying to calm herself again. It's hopeless and she sighs; she trusts the Doctor but recognizes that she won't be totally satisfied until she sees the infant for herself. Chakotay's arms wrap around her waist, stopping her pacing.

"Let's go back on the bridge and try to keep ourselves busy for two more hours. That's all we have to wait before we go see our little girl," he says and she manages a strangled laugh.

"Our little girl," she repeats. "I like the sound of that."

"As do I," he says as she turns in his arms. "Although, we're just acting as caregivers, remember?"

She rolls her eyes and nudges him in the side before reaching up so she can cup his cheeks and pull him down for a kiss. When they separate, she graces him with a brilliant smile.

"You know as well as I do that we're adopting her," she says. The rush of emotion that comes with her casual statement catches her off-guard and she falters, her eyes widening. "We're adopting her."

They stand in the middle of her ready room and stare at each other for a long moment before she starts to laugh; it's all absurd, that she's starting a family in the middle of the Delta Quadrant. But the more she thinks about it, the more she feels at peace with her choices. She loves Chakotay - his love for her is definitely not in question - and she knows that together they can raise Mollie and give her a good life. Kathryn's not blind to the fact that it'll be hard but she knows that they both love the child already and for now, that's good enough.


	4. Heading Home

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the ridiculousness of my muse and her silly ideas.

**Author's Note: **This is unbeta'd so all mistakes are, as always, my own.

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><p>Sickbay is quiet when they finally make their way to deck five. Kathryn's not entirely sure she can remember what they ate in the Mess Hall but she does know that there was coffee; she's fairly certain Chakotay made her actually eat something but the details are lost in the haze of her anticipation. Stopping just inside Sickbay's doors, her eyes are drawn to the small incubator that the Doctor's hovering over. Her breath catches in her throat and it's only Chakotay's gentle hand on her back that gets her moving again.<p>

"Ah, there you are. I was just about to call you both down here," the Doctor says, his smug smile soothing Kathryn's unspoken fears. "The infant came through the procedure exceptionally well and I don't expect there to be any hiccups in her recovery. I have one more scan to do and then you may take her home."

Kathryn hears Chakotay reply but his words are indistinct as she moves closer to the child. Her eyes are glued to the tiny face that's so peaceful in sedation, the rosebud mouth that moves as though suckling. Tears blur Kathryn's vision and, blinking to clear her sight, she ignores everything outside of the child that's suddenly taken over her heart. Her hand trembles as she reaches out and traces the soft curve of Mollie's cheek, memorizing the feel of it with an eager mind. She's unexpectedly become a mother and the maternal urges are surprising in their intensity; she's never considered having children before, especially not in the Delta Quadrant, but now she's not sure why she was ever scared of this.

"Kathryn?"

Chakotay's voice is soft and she looks up, startled. He's moved to stand behind her and, looking around, she sees that the Doctor's relocated to his office to give them privacy. Looking up at the man beside her, Kathryn manages a watery smile.

"She's beautiful," she whispers, "and she's okay. I didn't realize I was so worried about her until I saw her again and realized that she's fine."

"Yes, she is. The Doctor said we'll need to watch for any complications, not that he's expecting any, but that after tonight she'll get a clean bill of health."

Kathryn beams up at him, her hand reaching out for his to ground her turbulent emotions. Chakotay returns her smile and presses a kiss to her temple before turning to look at the little girl in the biobed. Resting her head on his shoulder, Kathryn stares at the child too, grateful that she's going to be okay. A thought comes to her and she looks up at Chakotay, smiling softly.

"We don't have anything ready for her," she says and then chuckles. "Not that it'll be a problem, what with the replicator available."

"I'll authorize a medical supplement of rations," the Doctor says, coming out of his office. "She'll need formula and diapers, clothing, bedding - normal childcare items."

"Thank you, Doctor, for everything," Chakotay replies and Kathryn nods, smiling over at the EMH.

"Yes, thank you. Do you need her name for the records?"

"That _would_ be helpful," the hologram says, crossing over to a console and then looking up expectantly.

"Her name is Mollie Hope Janeway." Kathryn's heart leaps at the finality of the statement and the surge of emotion that accompanies it.. "And you can enter into her personnel file that the Commander and I are her parents."

"Very good," the Doctor says happily. "I suspected that would be the case. I know she'll be in good hands with you two."

The walk to their quarters takes longer than normal since nearly every crewmember they pass stops to admire Voyager's little passenger. Kathryn's irrationally proud of the fact that her crew takes this latest surprise in stride; no one seems the least bit surprised that the command team is taking on the responsibility for Mollie. Chakotay's already slipped into the role of a proud new father, grinning brightly and accepting the compliments on the little girl's perfection.

"Captain, Commander! I heard you were causing traffic jams in the corridors with a baby but I didn't believe it until now," Tom says as he comes around the corner and smiles at the group of ensigns from Engineering who can't get enough of Mollie's features. Kathryn laughs and shakes her head, reaching out to nudge her pilot playfully.

"You know us, Mister Paris - always ready to provide distractions for our crew," she teases, her manner far more relaxed than it would've been even three days ago. Tom's eyebrows rise at her taunt but he says nothing of her new attitude, choosing to examine the baby once the ensigns head off toward their duty shift.

"She's beautiful,," he says. "You'll have to watch every guy on this ship once she's old enough to talk; she'll have them wrapped around her finger, just like her mother."

Kathryn blushes, Chakotay guffaws, and Tom smirks, clearly enjoying this new side of his captain. With another smile at the child, he leaves the command team to continue their journey home. After another three stops to let the crew admire their child, they finally reach their destination and Kathryn heaves a relieved sigh when the doors slide shut behind them. Chakotay just laughs and shakes his head, moving to the couch. They sit and admire Mollie, cataloging every aspect of the sleeping baby.

Kathryn leans against Chakotay's side and runs her finger over Mollie's hand; it's so tiny, just like the rest of her, and Kathryn's in awe of the infant's perfection. She's fairly certain she'll never get tired of watching the baby sleep, though she can't wait to see the little girl awake and alert.

"No regrets?" Chakotay asks and Kathryn shakes her head immediately, her eyes still on Mollie.

"Not a one," she replies, resting her head against Chakotay's shoulder again. Her lips quirk up into a crooked smile as she watches Mollie sleep. "She's so perfect. Even better, she's ours."


End file.
